God's
Grace and Peace be with you as we commence yet another journey
through Lent.
With smudges on our foreheads, signs of our
brokenness before God, we commit to walk together as sisters
and brothers who acknowledge the mutuality of our plight - "we
are dust and to dust we shall return." Yet even as
we acknowledge our mortality, we also claim a great gift that
is ours in Christ - the ash cross is traced over the very
place where we were first anointed with a cross at baptism,
and claimed by God as heirs of Christ's gift of new life, now
and in the world to come. I wonder, could we commit,
even after that ash cross has disappeared from our foreheads,
to live in the humility and grace which are two of the gifts
of Lenten living?
I can think of no better
gifts to keep in mind as we continue our journey together as
Church in understanding human sexuality. The latest
draft of the statement was released last week, and will be
reviewed and discussed in thousands of our churches, at
conference gatherings, at the ELCA Church Council Meeting in
late March, and more than likely, at our Synod Assembly in
late May before it is considered at the Churchwide Assembly in
Minneapolis this August.
As we walk
together in this time of prayer and discernment, can we commit
to some additional disciplines, just as we do during
Lent? Can we commit to have every conversation about
this statement be a reflection of the humility and grace that
are the gifts of this Lenten time? Can we commit to
imagining that "ash cross" blazoned across our own foreheads,
and to see it just as plainly on the foreheads of those with
whom we might disagree, and in that moment remember that we
are all - all of us -- dust, and to dust we shall
return?
May God grant us the grace, wisdom
and will to truly reflect the journey with Christ we are
called to live, in Lent and beyond.
Peace,
Bp. Mark
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We remember in prayer . . .
Linda Headrick (Transition Team member, former
Synod Secretary) and family, grieving the death of her
mother.
The grandson of Pastor Michael Murphy, recovering
from heart surgery.
Pastors, congregational leaders and
congregations, as we discuss and pray about the recently
released Draft Statement on Human Sexuality. To see the
Statement, go to: Draft
Statement |
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BOOK OF FAITH
TRAINING
EVENT
For
all pastors and lay leaders interested in the study of
Scripture
When? Saturday, March
14, 200910:00 am -
2:00 pmWhere? Bethlehem
Lutheran Church, 1300 St. Francis
Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95409
What About
Lunch? Please bring a lunch. Beverages
and snacks will be provided.
Why? To
answer the questions:
- What is the Book of Faith
Initiative?
- How do we get involved?
- Who is already using Book of Faith
resources?
Register with Sierra
Pacific Synod Book of Faith Advocates Diane McGeoch,
dlmcgeoch@juno.com or Karen Woida karenwoida@yahoo.com by March 10.
Your congregation/ministry may make a commitment to
the Book of Faith by signing on to the initiative at Book of
Faith.
Sponsored
by the Sierra Pacific Synod Word & Sacrament Discipling
Team
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SAN FRANCISCO
NIGHT MINISTRY
OPPORTUNITY
The
San Francisco Night Ministry (www.nightministry.com)
is an ecumenical crisis and referral agency operating every
night of the week, offering help and support to people.
Ordained clergy walk the streets of San Francisco from 10:00
pm to 4:00 am.
A
telephone crisis line is staffed by volunteer counselors from
10:00 pm to 2:00 am. The Ministry is in need of more people to
work on the telephone crisis line. Training is
provided. Volunteer counselors are asked to commit to
one evening per month. Transportation home at 2:00 am is
provided for those who live in San Francisco and do not have
their own.
Orientation
evenings provide an overview of the ministry including
history, theology, purpose, operating principles and an
outline of the training program. Come and see the DVD,
hear about the work and see if this is a ministry you would
like to share in.
Next orientations (in San
Francisco):
Tuesday, April 14 - 6:00 to
8:00 pm
Friday, June 12 - 6:00 to
8:00 pm
For
more information, contact: Brother Jude Hill, Crisis
Line Counselor Coordinator, at (415) 861-7951 or e-mail
at judehillssf@aol.com
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Following
Jesus into the Public Square: Hunger
Advocacy
Sunday March 8, 2009, 2 - 5 pm
Sponsored by
Bread for the World www.bread.org
Featuring noted theologian and
ethicist
Glen
Stassen
Hosted by St.
Mark's Lutheran Church
1111 O'Farrell St
San
Francisco, CA 94109
www.stmarks-sf.org
(415)
928-7770
Meet in Heritage Hall
The Church
has long been a center of hope in times of trouble, and today
is no exception. In California unemployment is spiraling
up, and throughout the world 1.4 billion of God's cherished
children live on less than $1.25 a day. It can be
overwhelming but for a people of hope.
In
this moment, how and where is the Church called to respond,
continuing in the path that Christ set forth for us to find
Him in the thirsty and the hungry? How do we meet the
needs of the world outside of our doors without losing
hope? What does it mean to love our neighbor when our
neighbors' problems are so big? Come explore these
questions and more with Dr. Glen Stassen, Professor of Ethics
at Fuller Theological Seminary, and David Gist from Bread for
the World.
Questions? Contact Mary Ritter, St.
Mark's Social Ministry at mlrpeds@aol.com.
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Upcoming Events
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March 2-3 Retired Pastors,
Spouses, AIMs Retreat -
San Damiano Retreat
Center, Danville, CA
March 3 Racial & Ethnic
Ministries Task Force
2:00 pm -6:00 pm
March 5 - Mark Yaconelli at
The Belfry on Youth &
Spirituality
10:00 - noon - Clergy
&
Youth
Ministers, St.
Martin's
Church, Davis
7:00pm - Everyone
UC Davis
Young
Hall 198
March 5-10 Conference of
Bishops, Chicago
March 6-8 SPS Youth
Committee Elementary
Retreat - Mt. Cross
March 8 - Hunger Advocacy
Conference 2:00 - 5:00 pm
St. Mark's, San Francisco
March 14 - Book of Faith
Training Event at
Bethlehem, Santa Rosa
March 19-22 ELCA Bishops'
Assistants Gathering in
SF
March 24 Racial & Ethnic
Ministries Task Force -
Synod Office
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
March 27-28 Racial & Ethnic
Ministries Task Force
Gathering - LSS Offices
Concord, CA
March 27-29 SPS Youth
Committee Elementary
Retreat - Sly Park,
Sacramento
April 6 Chrism Mass,
Rohnert Park
April 7 Chrism Mass,
Modesto
April 16-18 Gathering for
Women of Color in
Ministry
Eaglewood Resort &
Spa, Itasca (Chicago) IL
April 21 - 22 Mobility
Conference
April 22 -
Hein-Fry Lecture -
Pacific Lutheran
Theological
Seminary
April 24 - Professional
Leadership Conference
Committee
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
April 24-25 - Candidacy
Committee at PLTS,
Berkeley, CA
May 27-28 Synod Council
May 28-30 Synod Assembly
Fresno, CA
June 1 - Synod Office Closed
August 17 - 23
Churchwide
Assembly, Minneapolis,
MN
September 22 LSS Garrison
Keillor - Live in Concert
Memorial Auditorium
Sacramento
October
20-22 Professional
Leaders
Conference,
Asilomar Conference
Center
2010
May 6-8 Synod Assembly
Reno, NV
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MINISTRY VIDEOS REQUESTED FOR
ASSEMBLY
The Assembly Planning Committee is
requesting videos from ministry partners and special
ministries on a DVD 3-5 minutes in length.
When you submit your DVD, please label the
length of the DVD in minutes and seconds. DVD's more
than five minutes in length will not be used. The
ministry DVD's will be used as time permits.
Each congregation does not have to submit
a DVD. If you are doing something special, please share. The
committee asks that these be sent to the Synod office no later
than April 1, 2009.
If you have
questions, e-mail the Chair of the Assembly Planning
Committee, at Kathryn
Beck.
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LUTHER SEMINARY STEWARDSHIP LEADERS CONFERENCE
Date: May 4,
2009
Where: Luther Seminary, St. Paul,
MN
"Seven Characteristics of Stewardship"
"Will
our Children be Stewards?"
Featured Speaker:
Terry
Parsons
Director of Diocesan Services for the Episcopal
Church in America
Cost: $35
Register by
calling
(651) 641-3416 or
e-mail at:
kairos@luthersem.edu
Link |
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e-WASTE RECYCLING
EVENTS
There will be e-waste recycling
collection events at two of our churches:
1)
February 28 & March
1, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
at Lutheran Church of
the Cross, 1744 University Ave., Berkeley, CA
2)
March 7 & 8 at St. Paulus Lutheran Church, 950 McAllister
St., San Francisco, CA
This free disposal is being conducted by a
California licensed e-waste collector.
Link
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Sierra
Pacific Synod 